Definition

Verb: 1. To alter the direction or path of movement: This refers to the act of shifting or turning from one course, direction, or trajectory to another. It is often used in the context of navigation, travel, or metaphorical journeys. 2. To shift from one side of a ship to the other (as of a sail): This is a specific nautical meaning describing the sudden, often violent, shift of a sail when the wind catches it from the opposite side.

Usage and Examples

• The captain decided to change course to avoid the storm.
• The sail changed course violently in the strong wind, a maneuver known as jibing.
• After the market research, the company changed course and abandoned the old product strategy.
• If we want to reach our goals, we may need to change course entirely.

Advanced Usage

• "To change course midstream": To alter plans or direction after having already started a process or project.
  • The software development team had to change course midstream when new user requirements were discovered.

Variants and Related Words

• Course change (noun): The act or instance of changing course.
  • The sudden course change surprised the crew.
• Change (verb): To make or become different.
• Course (noun): The path or direction in which something moves.

Synonyms

• Alter direction
• Shift direction
• Veer
• Turn
• Swerve

Related Phrasal Verbs/Idioms

• To change tack: To try a different method or approach. (Note: This is a related idiom from sailing, where "tack" refers to the direction of a ship relative to the wind.)
  • After the failed campaign, the marketing team decided to change tack.
• To make a U-turn: To reverse direction completely.
  • The government's policy on the issue appears to have made a U-turn.

Verb

1. shift from one side of the ship to the other
   • The sail jibbed wildly